Fashion Week is not only the most fashionable week in NYC, but also the week with the hottest parties and soirees. The first half of last week brought some amazing parties, but the second half of the week was just as fun. Check out what went on the rest of the week below:
Callula Lillibelle: Designer Melanie Fraser Hart showcased her Fall 2013 Callula Lillibelle collection at Hudson Terrace on Valentine's Day. The inspiration behind her latest collection was 'Puzzle Pieces in Motion,' and her muse was actress Christy Scott Cashman, who attended the event in one of the designer's signature coat dresses. Models worked the room and ballerinas posed around the salon, while guests enjoyed the view and Vision Vodka cocktails. Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin performed her hit "Feel So Alive." Guests included Jean Shafiroff, Michelle Marie Heinemann, Leesa Rowland, Steve Stanulis, Kathleen Giordano, and many more.
NOLCHA Fashion Week showcased some of the best independant designers around. Fashion junkies, celebrities, and the media flocked to Chelsea Piers this week to check out some of the hottest fashion and we were not disappointed. Although there were so many great looks and trends on the runway this week, we've selected our three favorites trends from NOLCHA that we can't wait to see more of!
Tulle Skirts: Mermaid sillouhettes with an abundance of tulle were prominent during NOLCHA Fashion Week. Adolfo Sanchez perfected this look with three stunning gowns of different colors and slightly different styles. His looks that featured this trend were romantic, sophisticated and breathtakingly beautiful. His show-stopping final piece was a black leather dress with an over-the-top tulle skirt at the bottom and emphasized with a bold feather collar. Studio 6th Sense also showcased this look with an aysemmetrical dominatrix-style gown and Andressa Leao debuted a stunning short cupcake dress with the skirt made of tulle. It was a fresh and young take on the other tulle skirts showed during the week.
Since she was ten years old, Yana Benhuri has been obsessed with fashion. From fashion model to designer, Yana knows fashion from the inside out. Yana is now the brains behind YBCouture, having studied fashion in Europe, she has a skill of bringing classic modern looks into a simple, yet glamourous design. Her designs have been worn at big name events such as The Golden Globe Awards, The Academy Awards, and The Tony Awards. Most recently, Yana showed her Spring/Summer 2013 Collection at Nolcha Fashion Week in New York City. We were able to chat with the talented designer on her upcoming projects, her design esthetique and what celebrities she wants to dress.
It has been ingrained in our minds for years that recycling is better for the earth. Emphasis on organic foods and biodegradable products is publicized everywhere showing how to live healthy. Both of these are significant influences on our everyday lives, but if you think about it, so is fashion! For most of us fashionistas, what we will wear for the day is calculated down to the last accessory. So why aren’t we taking time to learn about the things that consume a large part of our thoughts during the day? Suzanna, co-founder of the blog Green House of Fashion, was lovely enough to meet with us for an interview to tell us about her eco-fashion blog, and give us a little insight as to what goes into being eco-friendly in your wardrobe and how to be fashionable while still being sustainable.
From color to cut, the gowns of Turkish designer, Seckin Ilker, graced the audience with a lavish feminine charm that brought new life to the runway. Her evening wear housed stunning pieces like a silk chartreuse gown with a gold lace short sleeve wrap, cinched at the waist with a green ribbon, a teal gown with ruffles fanning at the bust, clean dark blue lines to balance the cascading ruffles; and a classic black and white lace (Moulin Rouge chic) mermaid gown with black and white ruffles.
Last night, Italian fashion designer Danilo Gabrielli, took our breaths away with his Autumn / Winter 2012 collection at Nolcha Fashion Week last night.
The lights dimmed as a violinist grabbed our attention from the runway, setting the tone for a crisp, clean, and classic collection. Gabrielli makes it known that his true inspiration derives from classic Hollywood and his newest line shows just that. With a 1940’s flair written all over it, there is no question what the Italian designer seized to accomplish. An ode to an era when women joined the workforce, Gabrielli reminds us of how far we’ve come in the world of women and fashion. Silk blouses, skirt suits, and trench-like-jackets in warm neutral tones of grey made up a majority of the runway. Models with soft pin curls, deep side parts and bright red lips stole the show as they strutted down the runway looking as classy as ever.
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week can get a little chaotic at times: so many designers to see, so much to get done in such a small amount of time! For those who still want to be able to soak in the scene without the high level of intensity, Nolcha Fashion Week is the way to go!
We stopped in yesterday to give the independent designers a go and we have to say, the experience was quite extraordinary! Each designer’s collection was not only extremely unique, but also very different from one another with not one moment of boredom on the runway and the crowed! All of the shows took place at the super artsy Ailey Studios. The first show began in the afternoon with designers Farasha, Megla M, Carlos Luna, Teresa Rosati, and Vassilis Zoulias. Farasha started us out with a Russian-like theme, lots of fur trims, hats and coats, and the usage of tweed mixed with blues and turquoise was a great touch. Teresa Rosati’s pieces could be characterized as black swan-meets-Madonna by her use of dramatic makeup, bright embellishments and sequin dresses as well as sharp shoulders and black lace. The last show of the morning by Vassillis Zoulias was definitely the most memorable. He used such interesting headpieces that is was hard to focus on the clothes! You’ve seen hats with the little feather decoration I would assume? Now, instead of having just one little feather, picture an entire bird carcass on the side of the hat, and you can only imagine the beginnings to the insanely avant garde millinery he was showing. Let’s just say, definitely not a PETA activist's favorite.
Ever pick out an item off the rack at your favorite store and wonder how it was made? Does that curiosity ever lead you to inquire about the impact the item might have had on the environment where it was produced? Enter the green machine that is the creative mind of sustainable fashion designer Carrie Perry. The California born breakout designer who recently launched her self titled brand at the 2012 Nolcha Fashion Week in September, draws her creativity from 60s high fashion, traveling circuses, as well as iconic she-ros such as Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford. Perry’s most recent collection features tailored garments with warm tones that present the designer’s retro style.
Elizabeth Kosich kicked off the second set with an exciting swim show. The collection consisted of a variety of beautiful bikinis, graceful one-piece swimsuits, and elegant cover-ups. We were transported to the French Riviera in its heyday as we viewed the knit swimwear; which is not only water-friendly but ready to wear inland as well! The carefully implemented design details, like halter straps on a one-piece that twist into a rope down the length of the back and secure by wrapping around the waist and tying in a bow, made often-tricky to secure swimwear interesting, fresh, and functional. We also liked the subtle side cutout details in otherwise simple bathing suits, which achieve the look of the “mono-kini” in a much more flattering way. The collection were accented with turbans, bold statement necklaces, and hot red lips.